Beyond the Sea
by GabeJames
Summary: Devlin is introduced to the city in the sea, Rapture. *Basically a contraction of the story arc in the first Bioshock game with some edits. I do not own any of the characters, or anything that populates the world."
1. Chapter 1 - The Ocean on His Shoulders

Chapter 1-  
The Ocean on His Shoulders

1960  
Mid Atlantic

Devlin swam up to the shore of a light house after the plane crash. He looked back to the ocean, seeing no land. In front of him was a towering lighthouse, withered and made of stone. He crept up the stairs, while the sun began to tediously hide behind the horizon. Two large doors were at the end of the stairs, he pushed one open. Devlin peered into the darkness and stepped forward. Slam! He heard behind him in a spine chilling boom as the doors shut. Dim lights flickered on, revealing an ample bust of a man in a suit. Devlin read the propaganda attached to the statue "No gods or kings, only man." In front of the statue was a pedestal, which read "In what country is there a place for people like me? - Andrew Ryan." "La Mer" by Django Reinhardt began to faintly echo off the walls in its exquisite trance. It sounded as if it was coming from downstairs. He walked down the spiral staircase located behind the statue. Down on the bottom floor he found out where the music came from. It came from what looked like a submersible. A "Bathysphere" it was called. It was well lit inside. Devlin entered and pulled the lever downwards. He heard a subtle splash and constant bubbling, along with the rushing of steam and clanking of metal. The lights flickered out and he began to descend into the utmost depths of the sea.

It became pitch black inside. Devlin could hear the bubbling sound of the bathysphere sinking deeper and deeper. A powerful light connected to the Bathysphere shone. He seemed to be in a tube. Carved in luxurious gold like steel was "10 Fathoms," and after brief moment, "18 Fathoms." A screen folded down in front of him, covering the only view port of the bathysphere. A pre-recorded film narrative was projected onto the screen. On it was still picture of a man in a suit, like the bust from earlier, smoking a pipe. Next to him were the words "From the Desk of RYAN" "I am Andrew Ryan, and I am here to ask you a question. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? 'No!' says the man in Washington, 'It belongs to the poor.' 'No!' says the man in the Vatican 'It belongs to the poor.' And 'No!' says the man in Moscow! 'It belongs to God!' "I rejected those answers. Instead I chose something different. I chose the impossible, I chose... Rapture!"

The screen snapped back up. As the bathysphere toured up a seamount, it revealed a city. A considerably hefty squid whizzed by, along with schools of fish. The buildings had a entrancing turquoise glow to them. They were very art deco styled and were skyscraper like. They rooted from the ground like trees, with soil mounding up at the base. Like an underwater Manhattan. Reinforced tunnels made of glass and steel connected a quantity of the buildings. Numerous neon signs covered the buildings,advertising restaurants and business'. It was like looking at the world as a newborn.

Ryan continued "A city where the artist would not fear the censor. Where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality. Where the great would not be constrained by the small! And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well."

A titanic sized whale ambled under the bathysphere. From inside, Devlin heard a man with a fairly deep voice and a thick Irish accent

"...but the lighthouse is all lit up like hellfire...looks like some kind of plane crash."

Another man spoke "We're in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, how could it-"

"Dunno, you best get over there, and be quick about it. The splicers are coming."

"You've gotta be kidding, how do you even know someone's even coming?"

"Cause we got a bathysphere on the way down. That means we've got company."

The submersible entered a tube. And it finally began to ascend into a building.


	2. Chapter 2 - Welcome to Rapture

Chapter 2 -  
Welcome to Rapture

"Would you kindly pick up that shortwave radio?" Devlin scanned around for the radio, and found it towards his left. It was relatively bulky, but portable enough to carry without using up a hand. "I don't know how you survived that plane crash, but I've never been one to question Providence. I'm Atlas, and I aim to keep you alive. Now keep on moving, we're gonna have to get you to higher ground. Take a deep breath and step out of the bathysphere. I won't leave you twistin' in the wind."

The entrance opened up, and Devlin stepped out onto the velvety, cherry hued carpet layed down infront of him. Luggage was messily spread out around the generously proportioned murky room. Only lit by the skylight, which took up most of the ceiling. Signs Water took about half of the room, supported by three immense pillars, to allow the bathysphere to comfortably enter and exit. The ground, guarded by rails, was elevated to avoid the water flooding. Devlin walked up to and gazed out one of the three colossal windows. Rapture, in all its glory, was poised infront of him.

"Rapture is DEAD," or "Andrew Ryan doesn't own us," read the picket signs that were scattered on the ground. Devlin paced up the stairs.

Atlas reminded him that he was still there. "Now, would you kindly find a crowbar or somethin'? Bloody splicers sealed Johnny in before they... bloody splicers." Devlin picked up a somewhat rusty, red, pipe wrench.

The entrance to the next room was closed in by a thin layer of rubble. Devlin used his wrench to hammer his way through. As Devlin crouched down to get through, a flaming couch came tumbling down the stairs. He quickly squeezed the rest of the way through and as fast as his reaction could allow him, he hugged up against the wall, narrowly avoiding the couch. When Devlin was up the stairs, however, no one was there. While he was making sure of it, he became aware of the posters advertising "plasmids." One read "Pick your plasmid, and evolve!" with a drawn picture of a man lifting up a brick wall or "Evolution in a bottle! Plasmids by Ryan Industries." Devlin continued up the stairs, and found a plasmid vending machine, one was conveniently ready to take. There was a captivating, glowing royal blue liquid inside the circular bottle. Next to it was a needle.

Atlas came in through the radio once again "Ryan believed that scientific achievement in the world was being restricted by 'petty morality'. So he ensured that the inhabitants of Rapture could explore paths of inquiry previously deemed too immoral or controversial to follow. One of the major breakthroughs achieved was the discovery of ADAM. Unstable stem cells from a species of sea slug. This led to the creation of plasmids. ADAM allowed a user to splice new genetic material into the user's DNA, enhancing health, intellect and even giving superpowers. Now, would you kindly use that needle and inject yourself with it?"

Devlin took the needle and filled it with the plasmid liquid. He held his wrist up and after a brief moment, stuck the needle in his arm. His vision began to dim, he cringed in pain as electricity began to spark out of his hands. "Steady now! Your genetic code is being rewritten, just hold on and everythin' will be fine!" Devlin stepped back repeatedly, and plummeted off the railing, and into the callous ground.

The next time Devlin was conscious he was half awake. His vision was appalingly blurred two men came up to him.

"This little fish looks like he just had his first plasmid! ... Wonder if he's still got some Adam on him?" One of the men said in a harsh voice

What sounded like a whale echoed through the room in a bloodcurdling boom. "You hear that? Let's bug!"

"Weak! You're a weak chopper!"

"This little fish ain't worth toein' it with it with no Big Daddy!"

"Feeble! Always have been!" the man turned back to Devlin "You'll be no better off with the metal daddy, little fish. See you floating in the briny..."

Devlin's eyes shut and when they opened one more time. A considerably large, brooding, metal creature sauntered by. Shaking the earth with each hair-raising step. Like a gripping earthquake. Devlin was finally conscious moments later. And pushed himself up off the stiff ground. The familiar calming voice of Atlas came through the radio.

"You all right, boyo? First time plasmid's a real kick from a mule. Yet, there's nothing a like a fist full of lightning, now, is there?"

Devlin took out his left hand and aimed at the door control. Electricty blasted out of his hand with a thunderous, satisfying blast. The door zipped upwards, guarding a glass tunnel. It was astonishing inside, as more so was Rapture, itself. A neon sign featured the word "Finley" vertically, and another "Bistro." Then, as Devlin admired Rapture, the back of the plane that Devlin was supposedly on was heading straight for the tunnel. Devlin sprinted through as quickly as he could, and soon enough, he heard the spine-chilling crash of the plane. Luckily it didn't destroy the entire tunnel, instead it stayed wedged in, like the needle in a balloon trick. However, it still caused massive damage, causing the tunnel to drown tediously in salt water. Devlin heard the cracking of the glass, reminding him that it was still very serious. He ran the rest of the tunnel, ending at a steel door that shut firmly.

He scavenged for anything that could be useful. While looting, however he heard the ear piercing sound of metal scraping the icy, rigid ground. He turned around and saw nothing.

Atlas came back on the radio. "Splicer! Give em' the combo, zap em' then whack em'. One-two punch! Remember, the one-two punch!"

Devlin passed by the thick, rectangular pillar to investigate, and again saw nothing. He turned around and saw a man with a ball mask. He was wearing a formal brown vest and white dress shirt, he was wielding a metallic pipe. In the blink of an eye, Devlin blasted him with electricty and striked him with his wrench. The splicer fell to the ground in a loud "thud." Devlin, unrelentingly continued to the next room. Upon his entrance he heard another splicer

"Tell Andrew Ryan I'm sorry. No- I won't do it again. No! Please, please, don't do that, oh no." Devlin looked up and saw a fiery explosion from one of the elevators. It then plunged into the ground in another ear bursting clatter. The doors to the elevators slid open and a splicer that was set ablaze took off towards the direction of Devlin, but before he could do anything, the splicer fell. Devlin continued into the other remaining elevator.

The elevator ascended and Atlas began to talk through the radio again "Listen- I've got a family. I need to get them out of here. But the Splicers have cut me off from them. If you can reach them in Neptune's Bounty, then maybe, just maybe. I know you must feel like the unluckiest man in the world right now, but you're my only hope I'll ever see my wife and child again. Go to Neptune's Bounty, find my family, please."


End file.
